Sunday Snapshot {finding HER place}

 Saturday came and went without any fanfare around here. We slept late, enjoyed Ian's homemade biscuits for breakfast, took a family trip to Home Depot, planted two trees, and went grocery shopping.  Nothing super special or out of the ordinary.

And yet it was a pretty important day.

actually taken at 2:44am on March 5, when we went to bed

Saturday (March 5) marked one year since we first woke up in our own home, in our own beds, as a family of five. 

(I have no pictures to document that day.  Or even the next one. I blame the lack of mamarazzi those two days on a lethal combo of sickness and jet lag).  

Written on the calendar this past year have been two eye surgeries, eleven other eye exams, two pulse-dye laser treatments, four pediatrician visits (to get caught up on vaccinations), and two post placement visits with our social worker.  We did a whirlwind trip to Ohio and DC to visit family and spent our yearly week at Sunset Beach with yet more family.  We've enjoyed the arrival of warm weather, learning to swim, exploring the state fair, and first sight of snow We gathered Easter Eggs, watched fireworks for the 4th, went trick-or-treating, ate turkey, and decorated our tree.  Birthdays were celebrated with cupcakes and half birthdays were given a nod with a trip to the donut shop.

From March 5th 2010 to March 5th 2011, we've gotten a handle on zone defense parenting (notice I did NOT say mastered), laughed a lot, shed some tears, and in general grown into being a family of five.

And yet, while we were so happy that our beloved daughter and mei mei was finally with us, it wasn't an immediate happy fit for her.  Photos of her from those early days are somewhat painful for me to look at now.  She was darling, and quick to look at the camera when it was pointed in her direction, but she was missing the spark that makes her DQ.  In almost every picture from the first month or so (except for when she was opening her birthday presents and while we were still in China, she was much more at ease there) she looks startled, as if she was caught off guard, not sure if she wanted to smile or cry. 

Thankfully though, somewhere along the way, during the day in, day out rhythm of life, our reserved, timid, quiet little girl found her place in the family.  So much so that these days when the camera happens to be pointed in her direction, a whole new side of her personality is captured.

The one who obviously feels adored.

The one who feels confident to explore.

The one who has enough joy and giggles to share.

The one who dances her way through life and into our hearts...

This week time will march on ~ despite me dragging my heels in the dirt to keep my kids from aging ~ and steamroll me with her turning four, yet I do find myself thankful.  After all, her birthday will begin the second round of all those celebrations, holidays, and seasonal events that make being a part of our family unique.  I remember different times over the past year watching her listen to her older siblings chatter about upcoming events as they anticipated them.  And I remember her long face as she realized that she didn't have anything to contribute to the discussions.  So I look forward to each milestone passing again and hopefully hearing her join in on the shouts of, "Hey, I remember when we did this last year!" as she realizes that she now shares that commonality ~ that she is indeed forever one of us. 

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Don't know what Sunday Snapshot is?  Stefanie, the creator, describes it as:

"Sunday Snapshot is just a way to capture that special someone or something right now, because we all know time is fleeting... right now will be a distant memory before we know it!"

To join in, stop by her blog to get details.